to be sure western powers are what they are. but the conflict is certainly marked by other factors that should bear on our opinions concerning intervention. there was an expert on libya who spoke on talk of the nation, npr, whom i questioned about the provenance of mercenaries in the struggle. he asserted that when khaddafi opened the borders to sub-saharan africans in the past some 2 million entered, and he recruited heavily amongst them for his forces. he is also reported to have brought up tuaregs from the south and paid them heavily to fight in his brigades. he also has bought an enormous armament with his billions. [the expert also estimated that reports of white s africans being brought it were spurious]
what i see is a brutal dictator using heavy weapons to put down an already repressed civilian population.
in the war against franco in the spanish civil war there were foreign brigades on both sides: the left recruited throughout europe and the u.s.; franco used nazi warplanes to bomb civilians, for the first time in history (guernica)
what if tunisians and egyptians joined their libyan brothers and sisters; what if they brought in their guns to aid against the guns khaddafi has bought or is buying, or should only one side have weapons, access to weapons, access to outsiders to fight on their side?
if tunisians came in, where would they get their weapons? should the europeans say, let's play fair?
does the hypocritical and imperialist nature of europe justify letting khaddafi bomb civilians to smithereens?
if tunisians were to join forces, what of others? or is there a set of rules for fair play here? this isn't a game; it is a war, and you have to choose which side you support, unless you think u.n. peacekeepers could be sent in.
they can't, we all know that.
so, it is for or against khaddafi.
let me say, i would not want foreign intervention; i am not favoring it.
but i also would not want khaddafi to stay in power.
i would not want him to be allowed to destroy any number of people.
there are laws regulating all of these issues, especially the latter point where crimes against humanity and genocide do admit for, actually call for foreign governments to intervene.
to permit an anti-european anger to settle the issue totally is actually to permit a genocide in other places to occur. this is admittedly not genocide, but that fact alone doesn't settle the question of standing on the sidelines while a brutal regime uses all its firepower while those who resist in the name of the people get slaughtered. this is what ultimately happened in spain, leaving us with the franco fascist regime for decades.
so here is my question: should khaddafi be allowed to buy weapons or mercenaries, and should there be no assistance of any sort for the anti-khaddafi forces? where would you draw the line?
ken
On 3/8/11 7:45 AM, MsJoe21St@aol.com wrote:
This is pure rubbish talk, part of the Western-hyped propaganda with the rebel former Justice Minister. Let people report real news.How is it that in an outright civil war (as it is shaping) Western powers are talking about intervening militarily to give one side - the rebel faction leverage? Would they do that in Russia or China?People, this is not about Ghaddafi. It is the sheer imperialistic and hypocritical exploits that characterize the mentalities. Principle is principle. Where is it here? Is arming a faction in a warfare or titling the local field in Africa a foreign policy tool? We need to be clear, including the consistencies.Oil...the permanent friend? I am sure they don't like the Cocoa in Ivory Coast that much - and Rwanda had less to offer as the genocide raged.Who is kidding who?In a message dated 3/8/2011 7:08:56 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, Enyimba1ofAba@aol.com writes:--
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